Archive for category Human Rights

Robert Anderson teaches economics and political science at a U.S. community college. He served in the U.S. Air Force (like Bruce Gagnon) and saw combat during the 1967-68 Tet Offensive in Vietnam. Later, he helped form the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. He traveled to Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1973 to support the indigenous struggles for sovereignty. In 2006 he was arrested and banned from the University of New Mexico for pointing out it was wrong for the university to be supporting the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) without public comment. He is now co-director of Stop the War Machine which has organized major demonstrations opposing Star Wars and the Iraqi war. Bob can be called the Raymond Davis of 60s – Raymond Davis to us Pakistanis is synonymous to CIA Killer Machine.His recent article in Counterpunch titled “I Had Ray Davis’s Job, in Laos 30 Years Ago; Same Cover, Same Lies” led us contact him for an interview for Karachi based newspaper. The original English version is presented her for readers of “Talkhaba”. He sent us his reaction over Raymond Davis release. Please read on:

“The release of Davis in my opinion is just a green light for more killings and assassinations by the US government and the CIA in your country. The pillage and slaughter of Pakistani will increase most likely in the quest of the US for imperial power over your country and region.

The question of justice has been replaced by money. This is the typical way the US works, kill and buy people off.

Pakistan, in my opinion, missed a historic opportunity with Ray Davis to affirm its sovereignty and now has basically returned to its former colonial status, only under the U.S. rather than the British.”

Talkhaba: Since you have been undercover CIA official during Vietnam War, you were a witness to the events during an important part of history. How do you relate the history . . . the working of covert agents of your time to present CIA espionage tactics?

Robert: I tried to paint in my article a picture of the scope of how this is done by various agencies of the US government. I was not an official of the CIA but a regular military man put on loan to the CIA for covert work. It is extensive and way beyond my scope to detail. It involves thousands and thousands of people. There is a lot of literature around on this by others too, especially some ex-CIA agents and people like John Perkins.

Talkhaba: You are the Raymond Davis of the past; your period extends over years. What sorts of tactics were adopted during that period? Were these upgraded with time? If yes, then would you share some details with us?

Robert: You could read up on the Phoenix Program and COINTEL programs and get a good idea of what went on in the 60s. Read of the murder of Fred Hampton, for instance. Ward Churchill has some good books on this too as it relates to Native Americans. I would imagine the tactics have changed some but still also rather simple, assassinations where bribery and threats do not work. The torture of Pvt. Bradley Manning by our military is a good example.

Talkhaba: According to your knowledge how many undercover agents were working in Vietnam? How many agents may be working in Pakistan?

Robert: In Laos and other areas, the reports are: a large number. I have no idea as there is a fuzzy line between the official military people and the covert forces. They are all out for the same goal, to destabilize and corrupt and overthrow governments. Sometimes it is done directly with the military sometimes it is done with covert acts. You must know well the coup in Iran in 1953 by the CIA. That is the model that all the rest of this flows from.

No idea of how many of them must be there in Pakistan but I would think the number is quite big given the key position Pakistan occupies in the U.S. plan for the conquest of Eurasia.

Talkhaba: John Perkin has informed his readers of a special tactic. According to him, they had been using women as a blackmailing tool as well as a source of top secret information. Are similar tactics being used by CIA and FBI? How do you see the use of this tactic in Pakistan?

Robert: I have no such information on the ground knowledge of events in Pakistan but it would not surprise me if this tactic was being used there too.

Talkhaba: How do you see American demand for blanket immunity for Raymond Davis, the CIA operative and killer of two Pakistanis?

Robert: Typical. Deny; cry that he is a victim of the folks who don’t understand the greatness and goodness of US intentions. Just some people don’t get the word they say. It is entirely up to Pakistan to decide what to do.

Talkhaba: Given the capability of Tehreek-e-Taliban, Pakistan, some defense analysts assert that terrorist attacks in Pakistan can’t be carried out by Taliban; instead these are planned and perpetrated by CIA? In the light of your experience in Laos, can you endorse and substantiate this assertion?

Robert: It is possible but I don’t know any details. This is done a lot; it is called False Flag operations. The CIA has had plans to kill Americans to get its plans going here too.

Talkhaba: John Perkin in his book “The Secret History of the American Empire” has exposed the World Bank and other monitory organizations as tools of American Imperialism. Do you think CIA, FBI and US secret agencies are working for the same cause on other fronts?

Robert: Of course. They all think the US has a manifest destiny to rule the world, or as some say it, to be the world’s policeman. But what they are after are the resources of other nations.

Talkhaba: Blackwater/Xe Worldwide has been working as CIA’s operative in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Prior to the advent of these mercenaries, CIA had been doing all this work by itself. What made CIA to out source its work to various operatives like Xe? Are these operatives crueler up to the requirements?

Robert: I suppose to try to hide it from the American and other people. But anyone with awareness knows what is going on.

Talkhaba: CIA has its network in nearly all countries. Are they freely working in all countries alike or, unlike Pakistan, it will be difficult for it to work in the countries having severe relationship with US or relationship based on the principle of equality and respect for each other’s sovereignty?

Robert: From what I can tell they do this to everyone, friend and foe alike.

Talkhaba: How do you see the America’s “War on Terror”? How far is it tarnishing the very image and interest of USA inside and outside?

Robert: It is corrupting our political system from top to bottom.

Talkhaba: Your article published in “Counterpunch” gives the impression that American masses remain ignorant of truth. It’s also believed worldwide that Americans top the list of nations blindly following their rulers. Has your educational system any relevance with this phenomenon or some other causes compose this highly “educated” blind nation?

Robert: Patriotism and religious self-righteousness is what blinds many people here. The educational system is not teaching the truth, mostly myths and lies.

Talkhaba: What is your experience says about 9/11 tragedy. Do you believe it was done by some Muslim Groups? What is our assessment of Al-Quaida and Taliban?

Robert: Seems to be. They don’t like U.S. intervention in their countries.

Talkhaba: Can you give some advice to Pakistan how to get rid of current terrorism?

Robert: More education of the public and help in understanding that the U.S. can be as terroristic, and a problem, as any other group. Stand up strong and don’t let things like Ray Davis go away.

Talkhaba: Is there anything which I haven’t asked and you want to share with our readers?

On May 28th, 2010 Pakistan witnessed a black Friday. More than 80 Pakistani citizens were butchered as they congregated to offer their prayers. The atrocity has every sensible Pakistani shaken or shocked. However, in land of pure, using the opportunity to settle personal prejudice is nothing new and seems to be the order of the day. The incident triggered a chain of continuous and voluminous claims that Ahmadis are state persecuted.

The butchery of Lahore was hijacked for revocation of constitutionalamendment and Ordinance. Putting the blame on the 2nd Amendment and Ordinance XX is a façade. Why? Let us cross examine the said Ordinance with the Articles 14, 16, 19, 20, 22, 25 and 28.

Ahmadis are barred from preaching or professing their beliefs, to call themselves or pose as Muslims. For them to Offer their prayers in Non-Ahmadi mosques or public prayer rooms became illegal. They were prohibited from calling their place of worship mosque, performing Azaan, publicly using traditional Islamic symbols, greetings, quoting from the Quran, publishing and disseminating their religious materials. The above forbidden acts can lead to imprisonment of upto 3 years.

Ahmadis themselves were the reason for such strict measure. It was there continuous and never ending preaching that formed the basis for Ordinance XX instigated by religious groups. In the words of experienced columnist Athar Abbas, Express “Preaching is the worst habit of Ahmadis. This is the single reason why they entice violent acts upon themselves.” Athar also shared a couple of personal and first hand experiences.

Having similar outlooks, displaying identical rituals and symbols made common Muslims an easy target of Ahmadis. Posing as Muslims they recruited converts thus deviating innocent and unsuspecting Muslims away from Islam. Hence it became imminent, in the greater public interest, to deprive them of their cover. Why are they adamant on preaching their beliefs? The answer was given by Mirza Nasir during parliamentary debate in 1974. “Muslims not conforming to Ahmadiya beliefs are infidels” he stated.

Now let us move to the often mentioned Articles which the infamous Ordinance contradicts.

The dignity of man and, subject to law, the privacy of home, shall be inviolable.

No person shall be subjected to torture for the purpose of extracting evidence.

Ahmadis are not under continous surveillance nor are they required to report what they do in their personal lives. Infact, there are countless ahmadis amid us who lead their lives unnoticed. Secondly, Ahmadis are not rounded up, arrested or later tortured for extracting information by the police or other law enforcement agencies. Excesses if any have died with the dictatorship which exhibited unrestrained behavior against political activists and other threats.

Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defense of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court (commission of) or incitement of an offence.

The article is defends the Ordinance XX when it provisions that restrictions can be imposed in the interest of glory of Islam.

a) Every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice and propagate his religion; and

b) Every religious denomination and every sect thereof shall have the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institutions.

Athar Abbas in his column wrote the following incident. A few days earlier if village elders hadn’t succeeded in pacifying the threat to public order was very well on the cards at Shakar Garh. It so happened that an Ahmadi student and a zamindar’s ward played together. The ahmadi used to propagate Ahmadiya beliefs to his playmate and how by converting the later could enjoy benefits of living in US, Britain and Germany. Annoyed the boy turned to his parents and it enticed hostility amongst Muslim of the area. Fortunately, before any mishaps the area elders intervened and hushed the matter beneath carpet.

Hence the Ordinance does not contradict rather complements the Article 20 of the constitution.

No person attending any educational institution shall be required to receive religious instruction, or take part in any religious ceremony, or attend religious worship, if such instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a religion other than his own.

In respect of any religious institution, there shall be no discrimination against any community in the granting of exemption or concession in relation to taxation.

Subject to law:

no religious community or denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instructions for pupils of that community or denomination in any educational institution maintained wholly by that community or denomination; and

no citizen shall be denied admission to any educational institution receiving aid from public revenues on the ground only of race, religion, caste or place of birth.

Law does not stop Ahmadis from preaching their beliefs to members of their community and only bars public professing. Other than confusing prayer halls with educational institutions I don’t see any contradiction in the above Article and Ordinance XX.

All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.

There shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex alone.

Nothing in this Article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for the protection women and children.

The Ordinance does not state that Ahmadis are not liable to government protection or allowed to file petitions with the court of law pertaining to regular social and business matters. It does not state that they are lesser mortals and can be deprived of their valuable or even life when and as Muslims please. Twin attacks in Lahore were a heinous criminal act and perpetrators should be awarded due punishment.

Subject to Article 251 any section of citizens having a distinct language, script or culture shall have the right to preserve and promote the same and subject to law, establish institutions for that purpose.

Ahmadi worship centers are neither attacked nor their scriptures burned by state agencies. The Government prohibited mass scale printing for public distribution and not amongst the Ahmadi community.

The much dreaded Ordinance doesn’t violate the constitution of 1973 and hence can not be held responsible for the mayhem of May 28th, 2010.

This article was April 16th 2009, but it seems that it is written after the news of fakeness of Video came out. Interestingly, most of the assertions in this article are proved right by the news of Fakeness.

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Why a five six month old incidence of flogging a woman has been publicized by Samar Minallah, and later widely circulated around the world. It is learnt that recording from a phone camera of above event was sold to international brokers, a lottery for Samar Minallah to earn hundred thousand dollars and free publicity.

Punishment to woman was Islamic or non-Islamic; it is duty of courts and clergy to comment on the matter. Distribution and publicity of above event on such a large scale around the world have political ambitions rather human rights or women protection concerns. If you may pick today’s newspaper the statements of a particular group is witness that this political drama is based on sectarian abhorrence.

Minallah family is known crony of Mush and poses as die heart lover of Bhutto and Peoples Party. In the present circumstances when Athar Minallah played a role in restoration of Chief Justice, there he and Aitzaz Ahsan were responsible for sending CJ to the Zardari house, which was widely criticized throughout Pakistan . It is presumed that Hamid Mir of GEO TV is aware of whole conspiracy to sabotage Swat peace agreement, and he widely publicized such matter on Capital talk TV show.

It is assumed that some peoples want to disrupt peace agreement of Swat area, as it is in final course of action and lying on the table of Zardari for signature. Moreover since American’s have announcement 1.5 billion annual stipends; briskness of expected beneficiaries is on highest altitude to pose them warriors or crusaders, who are dictating Pak army to rejoin civil war.

In the last few months and in recent days a lot of human rights abuses have been reported by media but Samar Minallah did not bothered to came forward and comment on any of events such as:

1. Israr ullah Zehri appointed as minister in PPP’s government

2. Mir Hazar Khan Bajarani appointed as Minister of Education by PPP.

3. Abdul Qayyum Jatoi was caught red handed at Cat House Islamabad, later appointed as minister by PPP.

4. Altaf Hussain kicked out his wife from his home; later goons of MQM deprived her from rights and legal proceedings.

5. Legislation has been passed in Afghanistan denying right of Shia women by Hamid Karazai.

6. Pak army has brutally murdered hundred of women and children’s with the help of air strikes and canons at Swat and FATA areas.

7. NATO is regularly killing women and children’s with the help of drone attacks.

8. Hundreds of girls of Jamia Hafsa were brutally murdered, kidnapped and humiliated by Pakistan army.

9. Pak army, Frontier Forces still have occupied dozens of schools in war torn areas, but no one has courage to point out that why security forces are sitting in schools. And whenever Taliban attacks on those schools then a different picture is presented.

10. At Peshawar today anybody can visit and see “ Heera Mandi Street ”, no Taliban or Al Qaida ever attacked there nor did Samar Minallah ever help prostitutes to adopt any other profession. NWFP has largest market of male Prostitutes as well; titles of some of the sex business are so vulgar that peoples avoid quoting them. Crying on the name of Women protection is a political drama or means to receive aid from overseas countries.

11. There are so many hue and cries for polio vaccination, question is why Mush awarded such contracts to Agha Khanis, and same as whole education system was handed over to Agha Khan School Board. All privatized tourism hotels have been awarded to them and even 99.9% five star hotels is owned by that group. On other hand Karakoram State and Agha Khan State is in pipe line. That was the only reason that Idi Amin kicked them out from Uganda .

All above are a few examples excluding Aafia Siddiqui case and many women who have been involved in terrorism related cases by agencies? In the month of March Zardari was involved in allowing security agencies to jump in to homes with the help of ladders to crush lawyer’s movement. It is on record that security agencies brutally humiliated protesters including women during entire movement of restoration of justice.

Athar Minallah who was crony of Mush and minister in his cabinet want to fail ANP government for the sake of making room for PPP, question is why Minallah family now abruptly started to broadcast on TV channels that Swat peace agreement has been failed and condition is for worst then civil war times? Additionally Army should continue to fight in those areas and so many other pessimistic theories could be witnessed on TV channels and papers..

Nasr Minallah who served Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto as a civil servant later he was ill-treated by General Zia ul Haq due to his contacts with Bhutto. After death his wife Bilqis became MNA. Both have four children’s Athar, Fauzia, Akmal and Samar . Their close relatives, justice Safdar Shah was the Supreme Court judge who wrote a judgment declaring Bhutto innocent of the crime for which he was ultimately hanged (a 4 to 3 majority vote in the Supreme Court).

Athar Minallah poses that he is a lover of Z A Bhutto but why he worked as a Minister in Mush Government. His storey of participation in lawyer’s movement is well known. Samar Minallah is his sister who claimed to be living at Swat since last two years but neither Taliban touched her or Al Qaeda.

There is a strong group of Afghan Northern alliance at Islamabad , who has established an Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy (AIRRA) at Islamabad funded by anti-Pakistan quarters. Their major aims and ambitions include keeping busy Pakistan army in civil war. Majority of communists and cronies of India and Russia are sitting at Islamabad for spying on Pakistan . Its office is established in a large palace at a posh area of Islamabad . Farhat Taj Andersen is their spokes person, who is a Christian convert and based at Oslo . She is a great friend of Jang group and Salman Taseer media group who usually publish her poisonous sermons based on hatred and fascist theories.

Peoples are watching helplessly to observe manoeuvres of politicians, army and bureaucracy. Those were asked to pray for peace during civil war.. Now when peace has returned to the area anarchists, fascists and groups surviving on the stipend of imperialists are trying hard to interrupt whole peace process. Restoration of judiciary which left a soft impression on global level has now been tactfully sabotaged by Samar Minallah. The video she has sold to overseas agencies is continuously running on all leading channels around globe.

It is certainly move of Mush or Zardari, who are behind Samar Minallah.

Who says we have no leaders? If we have the MIR Jaffars like Hussain Haqqani, Rehman Malik [read it Dakait] Zardari, Gilani , Asfandyar and Nawaz Shareef, we have Tipu Sultans also. Prior to attacking the patriotic tribal by Meerasi General Parvez Musharraf on the direction of the military and political leadership’s masters in Washington the people of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) were considered the protectors of the rest of Pakistan. Now they have “reportedly” picked up guns against the “state”.

It’s not the story we are discussing here, however the Lawmakers from same FATA have showed up some self-respect in Washington, the things which we all have been desperately expecting from our government.

According to Dawn “Miffed at being asked to undergo a full body scanning at an American airport, a group of Fata lawmakers cut short their visit to the United States and flew back home.”

The six-member delegation, which included both senators and members of the National

Assembly, boarded a Kuwait Airways flight at Washington’s Dulles airport after the dispute.

They had come to the United States on Feb 28 on a 15-day visit.

On Saturday morning, they were scheduled to fly to New Orleans as part of their tour.

But when they arrived at the airport, two of them were marked for random checking, which included a body-scan.

They refused to accept the demand, saying that they would rather go home than submit to the proposed scanning.

Senator Abbas Khan Afridi, a senior member of the delegation, later told journalists that other lawmakers backed their colleagues and told US officials that they too would go home if their colleagues were not exempted.

US State Department officials, who were travelling with the delegation, took the lawmakers back to their hotel in Washington where Pakistan’s deputy chief of mission and other senior US officials joined them.

Dawn reports that Pakistan’s Deputy Chief of Mission tried to persuade the lawmakers to change their minds, telling them that all passengers in the United States had to go through random checking.

Mr Afridi said that the lawmakers considered the scanning order an insult to the parliamentarians of a sovereign country and decided to call off their visit.

Some would term it point scoring and others would call it publicity stunt but to me it’s a demonstration of self-respect. To this day our governments, also include military leadership, have given out the message that we are the only nation on this earth with no word of sovereignty, dignity and self-respect in our dictionaries. The actions like this at least help us prove that we are state with people who care self-respect and that Pakistan is not a sold-out nation. Guys I am proud of you. And you need red carpet reception at Pakistani airport.

This NEWS by SAMA TV hasn’t come as a good news to Pakistanis, instead this speaks volume of our helplessness rather brazenness. If you don’t agree with my words then tell me you have top class guns and the murderers are killing your kids but you just point those guns towards a testing range demonstrating you are well equipped. What should be called to that act? Le me keep my tongue closed as I have nothing less than dirty abusing words for that act.

The headline of News Reads, “Pakistan air defense capable to hit drone”. I ask what does prevent our “capable” armies from hitting US drones which have killed few “extremists” and hundreds of citizens of Pakistan. Or the inhabitants of FATA aren’t the citizen of Pakistan?

The news reads;

MULTAN: Pakistan Army tested its air defense system by hitting the drone on Monday. Pakistan Army tested its air defense to hit the drone in Muzaffargarh Khudai range. Pakistan Army’s air defense hit three drones successfully. Lieutenant General Ashraf Saleem said that Pakistan air defense is capable to hit the drone and all other fighter aircraft. He also added that Pakistan has advance and modern air defense system and Pakistan’s air defense system is capable to defend the air space of the country.

This news on SAMA website has also a comment under it by someone namely “arcane” who writes “Brilliant 🙂 I love Pak Army now army has shown its intention and will now it’s the job of govt to give them the greens signal”

This is exactly the message which the Pakistani Army actually wants to publicize. In fact our army wants us believe that it’s not their fault if unchecked and no-stop drones “visits” us so often. It is the political leadership which has failed to shows its love for sovereignty and integrity of this strange peace of land called Pakistan and is unable to protect its citizens from the evil devil and savage United State of America which has been successful in converting its Afghan War into Af-Pak war.

44 US drone have reportedly hits in Pakistan resulting in 700 civilians murders in 2009 alone.

As of April 2009, the total 60 drones had killed 14 al-Qaeda men while 687 civilians. According to a Report published in The News:

50 out of 60 drone attacks went wrong due to faulty intelligence information, killing hundreds of innocent civilians, including women and children. The number of the Pakistani civilians killed in those 50 attacks stood at 537, in which 385 people lost their lives in 2008 and 152 people were slain in the first 99 days of 2009 (between January 1 and April 8).

The attacks which have been killing 97.96% innocent Pakistanis including women and children, depends whether the Punjab dominated army and civil establishment accept them Pakistanis or not, is thing needs to be protested over? Or the capable Pakistan Army “respect” political decisions of US support? What makes the Army Generals the most obedient guys who burst over American’s Kerry Lugar bill is not an old story? What green signal I ask? Has it waited for political orders on Kerry Lugar Bill?